Page 29 of Whiskey and Wildfire

“She’s coming,” I said as I pulled the door open. Then I lowered my voice. “Keep an eye on her. She’s wily.” I glanced up at Lucas. “You didn’t have to do this, by the way.”

There was a lot more meaning in those words than just entertaining my mother. He didn’t have to force me out on a date with Logan, or get her involved, or act so damn innocent even though he knew exactly what he was doing. Logan didn’t have the guts to pull something like this off. But Lucas… well, from everything I’d heard from Beau, he had a tendency to get himself into trouble.

“It’s no big deal,” he replied, pretending not to catch my meaning. “I wanted to show her a real taste of Texas. And Beau’s family is excited to meet her.”

I looked up at Beau, who gave me an apologetic look. At least he understood.

“I’m all set,” mom called, stepping up behind me. “Take me to this barbecue.” She sidled up to Beau almost instantly, hooking her arm through his. “Care to escort a lady?”

Beau just nodded, dutiful and polite as ever. “Yes, ma’am.”

“It’s miss,” she smiled.

“The hell it is,” I shot back.

The look she gave me could have turned any other man to stone. Thankfully I had grown up with her, so I was immune.

“Have a good time,” I added sarcastically. “And behave. I have to live in this town, you know?”

She just waved, leading Beau back toward the car.

Lucas grinned from ear to ear. “Oh, I like her.”

“Yeah, well, good luck. She’s a handful.”

He gave me a wink. “Good luck yourself.”

And before I could say anything else, he was gone. A moment later they were gone, a cloud of dust billowing up behind the old truck as they left. Shutting the door, I headed to the bathroom myself. As much as I didn’t want this date in the first place, I’d be damned if I was going to look a mess in front of Logan. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, running a hand through my long dark hair. My dark brown eyes looked back at me, filled with a mixture of anticipation and dread. I couldn’t deny the flutter in my stomach at the thought of spending time alone with Logan, but I also knew how dangerous those feelings were.

A knock at the door startled me out of my thoughts. Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and headed to answer it. I just had to play it cool and aloof. We both knew this was a setup and nothing would come of it. Worst-case scenario, we watched a movie and had a couple drinks. Totally innocent.

But my eyes widened as I pulled the door open and saw Logan standing on my porch, looking devastatingly handsome in a blue button-down shirt and dark jeans. His smile was shy but genuine as he held up a six-pack of root beer.

“Hey,” he said, his voice soft. “Thought we could use these.”

I chuckled, stepping aside to let him in. “You read my mind.”

As Logan moved past me, I caught a whiff of his cologne - a subtle, leathery scent with a touch of smoke and amber. It smelled expensive and decadent. But it must’ve been worth it because it sent a shiver down my spine that pooled in my cock immediately. How many guys had he lured in with that stuff?

I swallowed hard, trying to push those thoughts aside as I closed the door behind him. “So, uh, what did you have in mind for tonight?” I asked, aiming for casual but hearing the slight tremor in my voice.

Logan set the root beer down on the coffee table and turned to face me, his green eyes sparkling. “Well, I thought we could start with a movie. I brought a couple options.” He pulled out two DVDs from his back pocket. “We’ve got an action flick or a comedy. Your choice.”

“Comedy,” I said quickly. The last thing I needed was to sit through two hours of explosions and car chases with Logan right next to me. At least with a comedy, we wouldn’t have the chance to let the tension build too much. And I could use a laugh after dealing with my mom all day. I loved her, but she could be exhausting. Case and point, Logan was in my living room.

“Good call,” Logan grinned, popping the disc into the player. He settled onto the couch, patting the cushion beside him.

I hesitated for a moment before joining Logan on the couch, making sure to leave a respectable distance between us. As the opening credits rolled, I cracked open two bottles of root beer, handing one to Logan.

“Thanks,” he said, his fingers brushing mine as he took the bottle. The brief contact sent another jolt through me, and I quickly pulled my hand away.

We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, both of us pretending to focus on the movie. I could feel the tension radiating between us, thick and palpable. Of course, that wasn’t the only thing getting thick. I shifted uncomfortably, trying not to display the growing erection in my jeans. The thing had a mind of its own and apparently all it wanted was him. Finally, Logan cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

“So, uh, how’s your mom liking Sagebrush so far?” he asked, turning slightly to face me.

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, she’s loving it. Especially now that she’s got a couple of handsome cowboys to entertain her.”

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